Adjustable gage for sewing machines

ABSTRACT

An adjustable gage for sewing machines comprising a base member and a gage of inverted U-cross-section, slidable on the base member. The base member is provided with a spring secured to the base member and engageable between a pair of a row of teeth provided on the underside of the gage, to permit an adjustment of the gage in a desired position relative to a fabric. A magnetized block is slidably mounted between the forward ends of the gage member and is displaceable vertically to engage by magnetic attraction the feeder plate or table surface of the sewing machine.

United States Patent Kalish [54] ADJUSTABLE GAGE FOR SEWING MACHINES[72] Inventor: Arthur Kalish, 64-10 Dieterle Crescent, Rego Park, NY.11374 [22] Filed: May 26, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 40,499

[52] US. Cl. ..33/185 R, 33/174 TB, 112/153, 85/5 R [51] Int. Cl ..B27g23/00 [58] Field of Search ..33/185, 174 TB, 174 S; 112/153; 85/5 R, 8.3

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,379,148 4/1968 Kalish..33/185 X 3,232,160 2/1966 Fork et a1. ..85/8.3 2,645,194 7/1953Underwood ..33/185 X [4 Aug. 15, 1972 3,392,691 7/1968 Pope ..1 12/ 1 533,203,105 8/1965 Whistler et a1. ..85/5 R X 3,085,635 4/ 1963 Livermore..85/8.3 UX

Primary Examiner-William D. Martin, Jr. Attorney-Jacob L. KollinABSTRACT An adjustable gage for sewing machines comprising a base memberand a gage of inverted U-cross-section, slidable on the base member. Thebase member is provided with a spring secured to the base member andengageable between a pair of a row of teeth provided on the underside ofthe gage, to permit an adjustment of the gage in a desired positionrelative to a fabric. A

magnetized block is slidably mounted between the forward ends of thegage member and is displaceable vertically to engage by magneticattraction the feeder plate or table surface of the sewing machine.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 15, 1912 3,683,508

I r I E -1 IO H63 INVENTOK 7/" WO/GAI) 1 ADJUSTABLE GAGE FORSEWING'MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

The present invention relates to gages for sewing machines in general,and in particular to an adjustable gage for a sewing machine for settingthe distance of a seam relative to the edge of a fabric to be sewn.

An important object of the invention is to provide a gage of the abovecharacter comprising a base member securable to a sewing machine tableand a slidable gage member thereon the guide surface whereof may beadjusted to space a seam at a desired distance from the edge of a fabricto be sewn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gage provided with amagnetized block which is displaceable upwardly and downwardly on anelevated feeder plate on the table proper of a sewing machine and whichwill be held firmly on either the feeder plate or on the table.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment forexisting adjustable gages, which comprises a magnetized block of theabove character displaceable upwardly and downwardly for adhering to afeeder plate or table of a sewing machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide devices of the abovecharacter which are simple in construction and operation.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawing in which,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gage and part of a sewing machinewith a fold of fabric to be stitched;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the guid with the table and feederplate shown in crocc-section;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the guide;

FIG. 5 illustrates variations of pins used for securing the gage to asewing machine table;

FIG. 6 illustrates a modification adapted for use with existing gagesand FIG. 7 shows another variation of a securing pin.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the gage comprises a top member8 slidable on a base member 10. The base member 10 is provided with apair of slotted steel locating pins 22, screwed into the base member, bymeans of which pins the base member is snugly secured to the sewingmachine table 32. The base member 10 is thus held firmly in the table 32and is prevented from longitudinal lateral and vertical displacement onthe machine table. The holding pins may also be exchangeable. Instead ofsteel pins 22, resilient plastic pins 26 (FIG. 5) formed with circularridges 27 may be used or plastic pins 40 (FIG. 7) formed with spuds 40may be used for the same purpose.

Normally sewing machine tables 32 are provided with a pair of holes forthe insertion of the holding pins. Some sewing machine tables, however,are provided with more than a pair of holdingpin receiving holes, inwhich case the base member 10 may be provided with multiple pinscorresponding in number to the number of holes in the table.

The base member 10 may be made of magnetized ferrous material, as shownin FIG. 3 so that it will adhere to the machines steel table 32, thusadding to its holding strength on the table against verticaldisplacement.

The base member 10 may, likewise be made of a plastic material (notshown).

Slidably mounted on base member 10 is a generally U-shaped gage member 8formed with a tongue 42 guided in groove 44 of base member 10. Thebottom edges of sides 46 of the gage member are formed with a pluralityof teeth 34 and interspaces 35 which are adapted to receive thetransverse portion 37 of a U- shaped spring 14 the ends 39 of which arefixedly secured to the base member by screws 41. The spring 14 thusbiases upwardly with its transverse portion 37 the rear end portion ofgage 8, thus causing the forward end portions 43 downward towards thefeeder plate 28 of the sewing machine.

The end portions 43 are formed with vertical longitinal slots 18 inwhich are received extensions 16 of a magnetized block 12 freelyslidable between the end portions 43. The magnetized block 12 is thusattracted in intimate engagement with the feeder plate 28 of the sewingmachine and front face 46 acts as a guide for the edge 30 of a fabric 31held down by the foot 36 and being stitched by the needle 38 along aseam as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

When it is desired to form a wider seam relative to the edge 30 of thefabric 31, the transverse portion 37 of the spring 14 is pressed down,thus disengaging it from teeth 34. The gage member 8 is slid a desireddistance in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 2) and the transverse end37 is engaged between another pair of teeth 34.

It will be noted that the method of slidably mounting the magnetizedblock 12 in the forward end portions 430i the gage permits this block toadhere to the surface of the table 32 proper instead of the feeder plate28 when the gage is moved to its furthermost position in the directionof the arrow of FIG. 2. This may be desirable when a seam considerablywider than that shown in FIG. 1 is desired.

The principle underlying the use of a displaceable magnetized gage blockmay be applied to use with existing gages. As shown in FIG. 6, amagnetized gage block is similarly slidably mounted in a clamp 50 whichis clamped on a gage plate 52 of an existing gage 54 shown in dottedlines.

I claim:

1. An adjustable gage assembly comprising a base member having top,bottom and side walls, means for securing said bottom wall to a table ofa sewing machine, a gage member slidable on said base member forcontrolling the distance of a running stitch relative to the edge of amaterial, means for adjustably securing said gage member on said basemember at a predetermined lateral distance from a needle of a sewingmachine, said base member being formed with a longitudinal guide groove,said gage member being of inverted U-cross-section having a longitudinaltongue portion engaging with said groove, said gage member havingdownwardly extending sides, the bottom edges of said sides being formedwith a plurality of teeth, an upwardly inclined U-shaped spring securedwith its ends to the side walls of said base member, said U- shapedspring having a transverse top portion engageable between an adjacentpair of said teeth for securing the gage member in a desired positionrelative to said base member.

2. An adjustable gage assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidsides have forward portions provided with vertical longitudinal slots, amagnetized block 4. An adjustable gage as set forth in claim 1, whereinsaid means for securing said base to a sewing machine table are aplurality of plastic pins adapted to be screwed in said bottom wall ofsaid base member, said plastic pins formed with circumferentiallyarranged spuds.

1. An adjustable gage assembly comprising a base member having top,bottom and side walls, means for securing said bottom wall to a table ofa sewing machine, a gage member slidable on said base member forcontrolling the distance of a running stitch relative to the edge of amaterial, means for adjustably securing said gage member on said basemember at a predetermined lateral distance from a needle of a sewingmachine, said base member being formed with a longitudinal guide groove,said gage member being of inverted U-cross-section having a longitudinaltongue portion engaging with said groove, said gage member havingdownwardly extending sides, the bottom edges of said sides being formedwith a plurality of teeth, an upwardly inclined U-shaped spring securedwith its ends to the side walls of said base member, said U-shapedspring having a transverse top portion engageable between an adjacentpair of said teeth for securing the gage member in a desired positionrelative to said base member.
 2. An adjustable gage assembly as setforth in claim 1, wherein said sides have forward portions provided withvertical longitudinal slots, a magnetized block disposed between saidforward portions having lateral extensions slidable in said slots.
 3. Anadjustable gage assembly according to claim 1, wherein said means forsecuring said base to a sewing machine table are a plurality of plasticpins adapted to be screwed to said bottom wall of said base member, saidpLastic pins being formed with spaced circular ridges.
 4. An adjustablegage as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for securing said baseto a sewing machine table are a plurality of plastic pins adapted to bescrewed in said bottom wall of said base member, said plastic pinsformed with circumferentially arranged spuds.